


An Extremely Well Put-Together Little Droid

by CzarZelinsky



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Force Ghost Anakin Skywalker, House Naberrie (Star Wars), Meet the Family, Never underestimate a droid, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Past Bail Organa, Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Pooja Naberrie - Freeform, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Ryoo Naberrie - Freeform, Skywalker Family Drama, Skywalker Family Feels, Sola Naberrie - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22065430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CzarZelinsky/pseuds/CzarZelinsky
Summary: Taking place immediately after ROTJ, R2-D2 fulfills a promise and tells Leia and Luke of their past. The Naberrie family, Luke, Leia, Han and the gang get the chance to meet.
Relationships: Leia Organa/Han Solo
Comments: 3
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Star Wars and it is the directors, producers, writers and all of the wonderful people at Lucasfilm/Disney who are responsible for the characters and universe in which I have the honor to dabble in.
> 
> Author's Notes: Check out my other (Star Wars) fanfiction story under the title Shockwaves in the Unifying Force. It's a time travel featuring Luke/Mara in the setting of the prequel trilogy.
> 
> I always hated the idea that Luke and Leia had to wait 30+ years to learn who their mother was. So bam! Problem solved. Ignoring Bakura and totally destroying some of the established events during the Dark Nest Crisis. Sorry, that's how I roll.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this, I am still pretty new to the fanfiction scene as far as writing is concerned, so please give me feedback!

R2-D2 accompanied Senator Organa along with his counterpart, C-3PO through the hallways of the _Sundered_ _Heart_. They approached the Captain, who was speaking with one of his subordinates, when Senator Organa paused and looked down at the astromech droid.

"Artoo," he sighed. "You have seen a lot, been through a lot, haven't you?" he mused out loud. "I think you probably have seen more than just about anyone and you have remained a steadfast companion to both Anakin and Padmé."

R2-D2 merely issued a small stream of vague affirmative sounding beeps.

"If there comes a day when Leia, or Luke, are safe from the Emperor...if there is a day when they can learn the truth of their heritage safely, then you are to teach them of their past. If neither Master Yoda, Obi-Wan, nor I are there to tell Leia or Luke, then I charge you with that responsibility."

C-3PO exclaimed, "I would be happy to help Artoo in this endeavor! I know that between he and I, we can fulfill your wishes perfectly!"

R2-D2 blew a raspberry as Senator Organa grew an irritated expression. Seeing Captain Antilles reaching a lull in his conversation, he beckoned the two droids to walk with him.

"Captain Antilles."

The tall brown-haired man bearing several fresh facial wounds glanced towards Senator Organa. "Yes, your Highness?"

"I'm placing these droids in your care. Treat them well. Clean them up. Have the protocol droid's mind wiped."

C-3PO started, "what?!"

R2-D2 chittered in what was clearly amusement.

The golden protocol droid moaned. "Oh, no!"

C-3PO was separated from his counterpart and was led away. R2-D2 wandered the hallways of the CR90 Corvette as he contemplated Senator Organa's request. If all went well, it would be Master Yoda, Obi-Wan, or the Senator to explain things to the younglings, but if all else fails, he would do his duty and tell the children of their past.

For Mistress Padmé and Master Anakin's offspring...yes, he would do this, painful subject though it might be for the children.

* * *

**23 Years Later...**

Most of the others were asleep now, tired from both the battle and the jubilant celebration that had taken place within the Ewok village, and thus R2-D2 was able to remain undetected as he made his way past the sentries. His years in the Clone Wars had taught him a few things about stealth, to say nothing of his time in the Alliance. After leaving the village, he went to the point where he had detected the Lambda-class shuttle landing, to where Luke had emerged to rejoin the others on the forest moon of Endor.

There wasn't much left, mostly embers and charred bits of metal. But the mask was there, the last recognizable piece of Vader. A low trill came from R2-D2, a sad lament for his former master at his resting place. The Emperor was dead, as Luke had reported earlier to Alliance High Command and now Artoo was looking at proof that Darth Vader...Master Anakin...had fallen as well.

Master Yoda was dead.

Master Kenobi was dead.

Prince Organa was dead.

There wasn't much else to process for Artoo and his duty was clear. There would always be danger for Luke and Leia, but the greatest threats had now passed. It was time to tell the Skywalker twins about their heritage. About their mother and their existing family on Naboo. About the Jedi and Master Anakin's forbidden marriage to Mistress Padmé. And about Master Anakin's malfunction and his turning to the Dark Side that had left the Jedi Order at the Emperor's mercy.

Artoo had a brief moment of panic in deciding whether or not to reveal C-3PO's original creator; Master Solo had already threatened to blast him numerous times. This could very well be the final bit of encouragement needed for Master Solo to do just that. Annoying or not, C-3PO had been his partner for longer than C-3PO remembered, and though Artoo would never admit it aloud, he would miss the gold-plated chatterbox.

But he had his mission and he would remain faithful to his duty and to the memories of his former masters.

With another sad series of moaning beeps, R2-D2 turned away from the funeral pyre that Luke had given Master Anakin and made his way back to the Ewok village, back to the two humans whose world he was about to shake to its very foundation.

* * *

Leia had been asleep in Han's arms when she awoke with a start. Beside her, Han murmured sleepily but his breathing remained even and deep as his sleep continued undisturbed. Unsure of what had woken her, she glanced around and nearly panicked when she realized that she and Han weren't alone. The moment was brief, however, and her panic passed when saw that it was Artoo who had entered the hut that the Ewoks had allowed her and Han to use for the night. She was distracted for a moment by the memories of what they had used that hut exactly for and blushed. The low beeps that came from Artoo refocused her attention onto the droid that seemed unusually agitated. Another set of beeps and she leaned forward to examine the read-out.

"Come with you? Come with you where? This can't wait?" Leia nearly collapsed back onto the bed, but Artoo blew a much louder raspberry this time in what was clearly an imperious tone.

"Wuzzat?" Han asked blearily as he slowly sat up.

"Artoo wants us to go somewhere," she stated, more than a little irritated. She decided to abandon the dress the Ewoks had given her and donned her Alliance fatigues once more. Taking a moment to re-braid her hair into something that was less likely to catch in the numerous branches, she added, "he seems pretty insistent that we do."

"I suppose Goldenrod is there as well?" Han asked but laughed aloud at Artoo's derogatory trill of beeps. "Well, there's that at least."

Leia smiled and happily accepted the arm that Han draped over her shoulder, careful not to jostle her wounded shoulder. "Well, let's see what Artoo has to show us."

#

Luke wasn't sure why he had gone back to the funeral pyre he had erected for his father, but in the long hours of the night he had found himself journeying back. He stood there for long minutes, unsure of what had brought him there when he heard soft voices, and the distinctive tread that was R2-D2's.

 _I wonder how they found their way here_ , he mused, _I hope this place will give Leia some of the peace she deserves._

"Luke!"

He had to smile, his sister...his _sister!_ had come with Artoo and Han at her side.

"Little sister," he smirked, "what brought you here?"

"I think it's obvious that it is I who is the older sibling," she retorted loftily.

Han snorted, "you two are already bickering like siblings, not sure how neither of you figured it out sooner. Hoth wouldn't-oomph!"

Leia's sharp elbow to his gut silenced him, "talk of that again and I'll see you _back_ in carbonite!"

Han just grinned and Luke let out a soft chuckle.

"R2-D2 here decided to join us in our hut. He was rather insistent that we come here after we didn't find you in the village. I would appreciate it, Kid, if you didn't run out on us or you might give Leia a fit."

"How did Artoo know I'd-" but his question was cut off by Leia's harsh gasp.

"Leia?" Han questioned worriedly and followed her gaze towards the pile of ashes that Luke had stood in front of. And then he saw it, the helmet. The helmet that had the visage which had given him nightmares and haunted his thoughts ever since Leia had freed him from his prison of carbonite. Looking more closely, he could see parts and shapes in the debris that now looked more like parts of Darth Vader's survival suit.

"You said Vader had died, Kid, but I didn't really believe you, not until now," he finally managed to say. "So why aren't you looking more happy or relieved about it?"

His curiosity and suspicion was aroused when he saw Luke glance towards Leia, whose gaze had remained riveted on Vader's helmet and who now remained suspiciously silent. When Leia remained quiet, he turned his gaze back towards Luke who bore a somber expression he didn't quite understand.

Luke took a deep breath, "We're siblings, Han. Our father was Anakin Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker didn't die like Obi-Wan had told me, no, something far worse happened to him." When Luke finished, he sighed and joined Leia in her examination of his remains.

Han looked back and forth between the re-discovered twins and now followed both of their eyes. He understood then, the terrifying truth that had made Leia cry the night before, the truth that had changed Luke so profoundly since that last time they spoke on Hoth.

"Vader," he said flatly. "Your father is Va-"

"My father is _not_ Darth Vader!" Leia nearly screamed at him, turning from him and Luke. "My father was Bail Prestor Organa, not that evil...thing."

"Leia..." Luke spoke softly but Leia cut him off.

" _No!_ " she breathed out harshly. "No, Luke...just no."

"What about our mother then?" Luke asked while Han remained silent, staring at Vader's remains.

"Our mother...she was probably an unfortunate who _Vader_ took advantage of!"

Before Luke could reply, Artoo rolled his way over into both Luke and Leia's line-of-sight. He began trilling angrily, loud enough to disrupt Han's reverie and Luke was hardpressed to understand the astromech.

"What?!" Luke exclaimed.

"What did he say?" Han asked.

Luke glanced at Leia and said softly, "He said ' _Master Anakin loved your mother, and she loved him._ "

All three were now staring at Artoo who beeped nervously.

"How could _you_ possibly know that?" Leia hissed with a fierce glare.

Artoo twittered at her and before Luke could translate, Artoo began displaying a recording for the three humans to view.

It was a beautiful backdrop; a canopy of carved wood, flowers, and greenery and a small balcony that overlooked a beautiful lake of shimmering, crystal clear water. By the balcony stood a man and a woman who were holding hands while another man, a holy man by all appearances, stood nearby reading from a book.

The man was young and handsome with a thin braid that curled behind his ear. He wore a dark brown robe where, at his waist, a familiar looking lightsaber hung. One of his hands that had joined with the woman's was a golden skeletal and clearly artificial arm.

The woman...

Luke and Leia's breath caught simultaneously at the sight of her.

She was framed in a simple white, flowing wedding gown. Brunette hair could just barely be seen, but her features were clear as she and the man shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

"Mother..." Luke whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mother?" Han asked.

"That's my...our...mother," Leia said softly.

"Then who's the guy?" Han asked.

"Anakin. That is Anakin Skywalker. That is what Artoo was trying to tell us. Our parents, our birth parents...they were married." Luke had said this while gazing at the holographic projector with what could only be called wonder and longing. Leia was also staring, so intent on the image of her mother that she never bothered to respond to Luke's statement.

"How did you get this image, Artoo?" Luke asked.

Artoo trilled several beeps while Leia finally broke her reverie to catch the answer. Luke's brow furrowed as he tried to translate and then his eyes went wide.

"Artoo! You knew the whole time!?" Luke exclaimed to the mutual confusion of Han and Leia.

"What, Kid?" Han asked.

Luke's mouth was set in an uncharacteristic angry look before he breathed out and settled himself. _He really isn't the same_ , Han thought, just a bit sadly, _he really did come into his own while I was an ice cube._

"Artoo said that he was one of the witnesses at the wedding of one Anakin Skywalker and one Padmé Naberrie," Luke said, his calm restored.

"A _witness_?" Han asked, "You mean this little droid knew your father?" Han's question was never answered by Luke as Artoo gave an affirmative beep.

Leia's gasp had them all turning to her then.

"You said, Padmé Naberrie, Luke?" At Luke's nod, she turned towards Artoo, "Is Padmé Naberrie also known as Padmé Amidala?"

Another affirmative beep.

"You know her?" Han asked.

"No...but the name is one my father...Bail Organa," she amended, casting a look at Luke, "She is someone my father encouraged me to learn about. He said that she had been a great friend of his and was one of the primary members of the Delegation of 2000, many of whom later became leaders in the Alliance."

Artoo turned off the hologram then and began beeping somewhat wildly. The others waited for Luke to translate. Finally Luke said, "Artoo wants us to travel to Naboo. To meet with relatives that may be alive."

"Pooja!" Leia exclaimed.

At Luke and Han's look, she explained, "I knew her from my days in the Senate. Her name was Pooja Naberrie. Artoo...is she part of that family?"

Artoo beeped a few times which Luke translated. "Artoo says 'yes, she is 'your' first cousin.'"

"She was a good friend..." Leia murmured.

"Hate to break it to you Artoo, but Naboo is under the Empire's rule, plus, we'd have to get permission from High Command," Han said.

"With the Emperor and Darth Vader dead, the Empire will be in disarray, and Han, don't tell me that a planet being under the control of the Empire is enough to stop you from sneaking in," Leia said with a smirk. "We should ask Mon. As a senator, she must have known Padmé, though I'm not sure about Pooja."

"So you want to go and meet the family?" Han asked.

"And to learn about our mother," Leia said softly.

"And father," Luke added. At Leia's look, Luke stated somewhat testily, "You saw that capture, Leia. _That_ man loved _that_ woman. _That_ man was Anakin Skywalker, not Darth Vader. Whatever he became later in his life, that man was a man in love."

"Fine," Leia said, sounding somewhat petulant.

* * *

"This is a critical time for the Alliance, Commander Skywalker. Today we are announcing that the Alliance will be declaring the formation of the New Republic. We already have many systems ready to sign, and many more will do so when word of the Empire's defeat here spreads throughout the galaxy. Now is _not_ an appropriate time to be requesting leave, especially not after your recent sojourn to rescue Captai-excuse me, General Solo." Mon Mothma was quiet and dignified as always, and Leia almost capitulated right then and there, but she saw Luke staring at her from the corner of her eyes, and she remembered the image of her mother wearing that white wedding dress.

"Mon...I received some troubling information recently. Information that concerns my family and heritage," Leia said hesitantly.

"Bail and Breha?" Mon asked.

"No," Leia responded quickly with a look of pain on her face. "No, my birth family."

At Mon's raised eyebrow, she cast a somewhat desperate look at Luke. Luke cleared his throat. "Senator Mothma-"

"Mon, please, After all you have done, Commander, think you have the right to call me that."

"Mon then, and you may call me Luke, if you so desire. I recently discovered that Leia is my twin sister."

"Twin!? But on Hoth-"

"Hoth never happened!" Luke and Leia said simultaneously, interrupting Mon Mothma's question.

Han, who had been standing quietly nearby, snickered, and received a dirty glare from Leia.

"Twin sister, then," Mon said, a twitch in one of the corners of her lips.

"Our mother, we recently discovered, was one Padmé Amidala. We believe you knew her."

"Padmé!" Mon gasped. "But when she was buried, she hadn't yet given birth!"

"A ruse," Luke said, "to protect Leia's and my life. If the Emperor...or Darth Vader...ever discovered our existence, we would be hunted down, to be either killed or turned to the Dark Side."

"Turned...Leia?"

"Luke informed me yesterday of my family as well as my own latent powers in the Force," Leia responded to Mon's question.

"Padmé was your mother then. That explains while Bail would have taken you in, Leia. They were good friends of one another. Oh Padmé...the father was Anakin Skywalker, I suppose."

Leia didn't respond, but Luke answered with a nod.

"Know that now, it's almost obvious. The two of you are almost the spitting image of Padmé and Anakin. I didn't know of any relationship between the two, but I know Anakin could often be seen with her when he was on Coruscant. Oh Padmé. She was a good person, Leia, Luke. A good person in dark times, an incorruptible spirit who would have fought tooth and nail against this Empire. What does she have to do with taking leave?" Mon asked.

"Artoo is the one who informed us about the identity of our mother. He says we may have family by blood on Naboo," Leia replied.

"Pooja?" Mon hazarded a guess.

"Among others, possibly," replied Leia, surprised by Mon's insight.

Mon Mothma remained silent for a time before standing up and looking out the viewport. Luke, Leia, and Han waited as Mon came to a decision. "I shouldn't allow this. This _is_ a crucial time for the Alliance and going to Naboo constitutes a dangerous risk for you, for all three of you. But for Padmé, I will allow this."

She paused and seemed to consider something. "Of course, you should avoid getting caught at all costs, but the Moff in charge of the Chommel sector once served your mothers as her security adviser. Panaka, I think his name was. He's fairly well regarded and for an associate of the Emperor, he's not nearly as vile as you'd think. He's a genuine believer, I think."

"I don't get how people can buy into the junk. Even when I was just a smuggler, it was pretty easy to see the problems in the Empire," Han said.

"I don't think he's a fanatic, but he, if memory serves, blamed the Republic for some of the troubles that Naboo suffered, or for the chaos the galaxy underwent during the Clone Wars and its aftermath. There is likely some justification for that; in the final days of the Republic there _was_ a lot of corruption. Nevertheless, I brought him up because if things go bad and you are caught, it is possible that you may find leniency with him. It's nothing I'd count on, but it's something to keep in mind if your presence is detected," Mon said.

"We'll keep in touch, Mon. I don't expect us to be gone for too long, but if we _do_ have family there, I think we'd like to be there for at least a week," Luke said.

"Very well, Luke. Don't worry Leia, the Alliance will still be here when you get back. And if we are not, then the New Republic _will_. May the Force be with you."

"And with you, Mon," Leia said with a smile.

* * *

"You told me 'not a scratch'."

"Look Han, I'm gonna get it fixed, I'll even make it better than before," Lando said with his hands raised in the universal 'don't blast me' position.

"You told me...'not a scratch."

"Han, I was leading that attack in the Death Star. The superstructure made the path real tight real fast. It's a miracle I'm not space dust."

"'Not...a...scratch."

"Han, I've already got a line on a replacement sensor dish. It's got a smaller profile and is even more effective. It'll be fixed within a couple weeks."

"There's a scratch, Lando. On my ship."

Luke and Leia looked at each other with amused smiles as the two bickered. Luke could feel that Han _was_ pissed, but he was milking this for every second he could. _I guess he's still a bit pissed because of the carbonite,_ he thought.

"Han, I'm replacing it, and I'm not gonna make you pay a thing. Alright?"

"Fine...but it better be fixed by the time I get back, or it's your ass!" Han shouted as he walked away, leaving Luke and Leia to follow him.

They walked in silence for a moment before Luke started chuckling.

"What?" Leia asked.

"Han. You just wanted to make sure you didn't have to pay for anything, didn't you?" Luke asked, still laughing.

Han just smirked.

Leia rolled her eyes, but she smiled. "So if the _Falcon_ is down for the count, how are we getting there?"

"I contacted an old colleague of mine. A smuggler, another scoundrel like me," Han said, shooting a smile at the now scowling Leia. "Don't worry. Karrde is an interesting individual. He's neutral between the Alliance and the Empire, walking the line between both. But he can be trusted to keep walking the line. He also has an information network that possibly rivals the Bothan's spy network."

Luke whistled. He smiled and started to ask a question before he paused, grimacing.

"Luke?" Leia asked.

"Will this 'Karrde' be here soon? I think I need to rest. I'm still seizing up every now and then...it's not pleasant."

"He should be here within a few hours. What happened?" Han asked.

"The Emperor happened. I did exactly what Master Yoda told me not to do and underestimated him. He used the Force to shoot...lightning, I guess, at me."

"What?" Han yelped.

"The Emperor was torturing me because I refused to turn, because I refused to kill my father. So he tortured me."

Leia's eyes were wide and she wrapped her arms around him, as if she were afraid he'd disappear.

"That's when _he_ saved me, Leia," Luke said quietly.

Leia leaned back to look at him questioningly.

"Who saved you, Kid?" Han asked, echoing her look.

"Vader...Anakin. I could feel it, the moment he turned back to the Light Side, the moment when he returned to his true self. I would be dead now, Leia, if not for him," Luke said at their looks of disbelief.

"What did he do?" Han asked, seeing Leia still frozen.

Luke chuckled slightly. "I saw him. I saw him pick up that vile creature known as the Emperor and I saw him throw him down a reactor shaft."

Leia and Han gaped at him.

"The Emperor was still throwing lightning at me, and that turned against Anakin when he picked him up. It fried his survival suit." Luke had a sad smile on his face. "He sacrificed his life to save me, Leia. Whatever else he's done Leia, at that moment, Anakin lived again. He had me take off his mask, said he wanted to see me 'with his own eyes.' Oh Leia, if you had seen him, so scarred and so sad. He knew of you, at the end, felt you in my thoughts. He told me to tell you that I had been right about him. That there had still been some good in him."

Luke glanced down as Han and Leia both remained silent.

"The lightning the Emperor used, the medic I saw earlier said that it had caused calcification in my bones but that rest would be enough to alleviate the effects. I can use the Force to augment my healing, but I still need that rest."

With that, Luke left for his quarters, leaving the stunned Han and Leia behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: I've always loved the character of Talon Karrde. I don't plan for him to be a major character, but I thought throwing him in would be okay. I have no plans for incorporate Mara Jade.
> 
> On a side note, for those curious. Mon Mothma did declare the beginning of the New Republic almost immediately after the victory at the Battle of Endor. (In both EU and the new Canon). Also in EU, Leia did know Pooja from her days in the Imperial Senate, but they never knew they were actually related until 36 ABY, thus making Artoo's revelation the significant departure here.
> 
> I don't actually know where I'm heading with this fic and am making it up as I go along. I don't anticipate it being a novel length story, but I thought I'd have fun with a 'meet the family' prompt. This isn't likely to be action-packed and is very likely to be mushy with a happy ending, so beware!


	3. Chapter 3

Luke had mostly recovered and had joined the others by the time the _Wild Karrde_ jumped out of hyperspace. It didn't look like much, just an old battered Corellian bulk freighter. Then again, the same could be said of the _Millennium Falcon_.

Chewbacca had told Han that he wanted to see Malla while there was a lull between battles, so with Han's blessing, Chewie had taken the _Falcon_ to Kashyyyk by himself to see his family. Luke, Han, Leia, and R2-D2 would be journeying to Naboo on board Talon Karrde's freighter. Luke had suggested to Threepio that he might find more suitable duties on board _Home One_ , and to everyone's relief, the golden protocol droid had agreed.

"Captain Solo. A pleasure to see you again," came a cultured voice from the newly opened docking seal.

A man, trim and polished, strode forward to shake Han's hand. "Excuse me...that's _General_ Solo now, from what I've heard. I suppose I owe you, all of you, congratulations on your victory here." Without waiting for a response, he turned back to Han and got down to business. "Now, we were already on our way to the Chommel sector when I received your message so that's why I agreed to carry you as passengers. I'm giving you passage _to_ Naboo, but you're on your own when it comes to getting out. You have my contact information and if I'm still in the area, I may agree to ferry you back out. No guarantees."

"I hear you, Karrde. When can we get underway?" Han asked.

"As soon as I receive payment. It is for three humans and an astromech droid? We can leave as soon as those credits are in my account. You may go ahead and get on board, one of my men, Aves, will see you to your cabins."

"Thanks Talon. Those credits should hit the account number you gave me any time now. We'll see you on board."

"Splendid."

* * *

"Ah, I was hoping to find you all here."

Talon Karrde's voice managed to startle everyone but Luke, Luke having sensed his presence nearing seconds before his voice reached them. R2-D2 and his three companions sat in a relatively large and plush room that featured a fairly large viewport. All that could be seen out of that viewport was the ever shifting luminescent blue of hyperspace, but it was better than staring at the ceiling while they waited to arrive at Naboo.

"Karrde," Han said neutrally with an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I had hoped to have the chance to speak with you and your companions, Captain Solo. I admit, it's not every day that I carry such famous, or infamous depending on your point of view, passengers. I won't deny that I am curious why you would be going to Naboo of all places at this time, but I will try to contain myself."

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

Karrde smiled. "The news of the Emperor's death has been trickling out into the other systems in the galaxy, slowly as the Empire scrambles to come up with a new leader, but slowly or not, the news _is_ spreading. Naboo's reaction in particular will be...interesting," the smuggler commented lightly.

"How so?" Han asked.

"Naboo is the homeplanet of the Emperor," Leia explained.

"And we're going _there_... _now?"_ Han hissed.

Karrde smiled. "Naboo has historically been everything that the Empire is not. Propaganda would cast their opinion of the Emperor in a far more favorable light than it might truly be. It's possible that you will find a planet ready to support the Rebellion in light of the news of the defeat the Empire suffered at Endor."

The trader sighed then and looked intently at the four people in front of him. "I make my living toeing the line between the Empire and the Rebellion and I am unwilling to make a commitment to either. I would very much appreciate it if I were not linked to individuals seeking to incite an imminent uprising on Naboo. Be discrete, please."

Luke smiled slightly. "No worries. We aren't planning on any such thing. We are going for personal reasons, and nothing more."

"It is a relief to hear, Jedi Skywalker. We should be jumping out of hyperspace in the next few minutes; we'll be landing in Theed shortly thereafter. You should gather your things."

With that, the distinguished profile of Talon Karrde disappeared as he walked out of the room.

#

"Jedi Skywalker, huh?" Han asked with a smile.

"Oh shut it, Han."

"Let's get ready for landing," Leia said with a soft smile as she looped her arm through her brother's.

* * *

Since Luke had left Tatooine, he had seen many planets. Planets that consisted of almost nothing but snow and ice, forest moons, lifeless moons, jungle planets, all sorts of planetoids, asteroids, and celestial bodies. But Naboo...

As Luke walked slowly down the ramp, he had his first glimpse of Theed and its surrounding terrain.

"Wow," Luke whistled.

"It's a beautiful planet, Jedi Skywalker, I hope you and your party enjoy yourselves," Talon Karrde said, standing at the entrance of his ship.

"Thanks Karrde, I'm sure we will," Han replied as they slowly made their way into the spaceport where they had docked.

Luke kept pace with the others but he still marveled at the water, the green, and the amount and size of the waterfalls that seemed to permeate the city.

"Wow," he repeated softly.

#

When they had finally made it past the security checkpoint using identities provided by Talon Karrde and his impressive slicers along with fairly simple disguises, Leia turned to Artoo.

"Well, Artoo, where do we go?"

After a series of beeps, Luke translated, "He said we should go to the home of the Naberrie family. They are located in Theed and he can guide us there. It won't be a terribly long walk."

"Then let's get moving, I don't want us out in the open for long," Han cautioned.

"Let's," Leia agreed and took Han's hand in her own.

Seeing their joined hands, Luke muttered, "About time," then grinned as he dodged the lazy backswing that Leia gave him.

* * *

"Must have been a heckuva party last night," Han smirked looking at the detritus that littered the street next to where they walked. There were empty bottles, clearly alcholic in nature, but it was the numerous posters and signs that caught Leia's eye.

Bending over to pick one up, she chuckled at the obscene picture depicting the Emperor.

"I guess Karrde was right," Luke said, smiling as he saw the picture.

"There aren't a lot of people out for this time of day," Han observed.

"I bet the local military garrison commander cracked down pretty hard on the protesters or rioters," Leia said thoughtfully.

Several beeps coming from the astromech droid leading them had Leia and Han turning to Luke for a translation.

Luke, somewhat nervously, said, "We're here," as he pointed to nearby residence just ahead and to the right of them.

There wasn't much to see from their current vantage, but it seemed like a fairly simple stone building with a staircase that climbed the front of the building to end up at the entrance. What little they could see on the outside was a fairly humble and pleasant exterior.

Seeing Luke and Leia pause, Han rolled his eyes and walked up the stairs with the two anxious twins following gratefully behind.

"Kid, you just faced down the Emperor the other day and _this_ scares you?"

Luke glared at Han.

Conversation and banter ceased when Han pressed the button that would notify the inhabitants that they had visitors.

"Here we go," Leia muttered, and smiled when Luke too her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: In case you're curious, the deleted scenes of Star Wars Episode II include a segment where Anakin, Padmé, and R2-D2 visit her parents' home in Theed. There, you see Artoo playing with Pooja and Ryoo and Anakin having dinner with the family. Sola teases Padmé about Anakin being her boyfriend.
> 
> Padmé was 27(ish) when she died and Sola was the eldest daughter of Jobal and Ruwee. At this time, she would be at least 50 years old. Middle aged, but not old. Pooja and Ryoo would be 7 and 9 years older than the Skywalker twins, respectively.


	4. Chapter 4

Sola Naberrie had just come in from the backyard when she heard the soft chime of the front entrance. Given the ruckus of the past few nights and the subsequent crackdowm by the authority, she was a little hesitant to open the door.

Still...

Pooja and Ryoo were off together in the Lake Country together while things settled down in Theed. Darred was off planet with some major architectural contract and wouldn't be back from several days. She was _bored_ being alone in the house. _Might as well see who that is_ , she thought.

Opening the door, she found herself confronted with the a rather handsome, if somewhat scruffy-looking man, He had a black vest over a white shirt and wore trousers which appeared to be marked with bloodstripes.

"Yes?" she asked somewhat cautiously."

"Hi," the man said somewhat lamely, rubbing the back of his neck in obvious nervousness.

"Is this the Naberrie residence?"

The feminine voice came from behind the man, who stepped aside to reveal a younger looking man and woman.

"Yes, this-" Sola paused. Seeing all three faces together was enough, given that their wanted posters were plastered across the galaxy. Narrowing her eyes, she spoke quietly, as if they would be overheard, "Yes, I know who you three are."

Anything she might have said beyond that was cut off by a series of high pitched beeps that came from a very familiar looking droid. The three human companions of the astromech had to scramble to get out of its way as it made a beeline for Sola.

"Artoo?" Sola asked hesitantly.

The responding beep was clearly in the affirmative.

She forgot the other humans' presence as she bent down and placed a hand against R2-D2's dome. "Oh Artoo! I Missed you!"

"Huh, guess short and round _does_ know her," Han said dryly.

* * *

The four humans were seated a simple dining room table and have exchanged somewhat stilted pleasantries. Sola was obviously curious about her visitors, but also somewhat apprehensive about having the three infamous rebels in her home while the local Imperial presence was making itself felt.

_Might as well get at least one question answered_ , Sola thought. "Commander Skywalker...are you perhaps related to Anakin Skywalker?"

The other three exchanged a look before Luke answered, "Call me Luke, please. And to answer your question, yes, Anakin was my father." Luke paused for a moment before letting out a breath, "And that's somewhat the reason why we're here, on Naboo and in your home."

"What do you mean?" Sola asked.

"Artoo revealed to me recently that he knew Anakin...Anakin and my mother. Artoo?" Luke prompted.

Artoo displayed the same scene he had for Luke and Leia of Anakin and Padmé exchanging vows by the lake.

Sola stood up abruptly and backed away from the table so fast that her chair tipped to the floor. A hand flew to her mouth as tears immediately began to shimmer in her eyes.

"Padmé," she gasped. Sola stood there for minutes in silence, a silence no one was willing to break, as she stared at the image in front of her. After a while, her gaze flickered to R2-D2 and then to Luke.

"Luke Skywalker. You...you're Padmé's son?"

"And your nephew," Luke nodded as he spoke softly.

Sola slowly righted the fallen char before falling unceremoniously into it. She stared at her hands which rested on the table before she addressed Luke again.

"How?"

"I think Artoo might know better than we do," Luke said. "I never knew the identity of my mother until just a short time ago. Artoo never told us anything until then."

"Why didn't you tell them, Artoo? We could have met...we could have taken them in!" Sola asked in an aggrieved tone.

Artoo beeped mournfully before several rapid streams of beeps and boops.

"He says Senator Organa forbade him to tell Padmé's children of their past until the threat of the Emperor and Darth Vader had passed," Luke said before explaining, "We are strong in the Force, like our Father, and we would be a threat to the Emperor. We were thus kept hidden.

" _We?_ Child _ren?_ " gasped Sola. Then her gaze immediately went to Leia. "Of course...you're the very picture of her." Sola just stared at Luke and Leia for a while before she stood up and came around the table and hauled Luke bodily out of his seat before proceeding to hug him fiercely. Sola hugged Luke as if she feared he would disappear if she weren't there to hold him. Then she grabbed Leia and gave her the same treatment.

In a choked voice, she turned her gaze towards Han. "Thank you, Captain Solo, thank you for bringing my family home."

She then began crying softly while holding the two people that were all that remained of her beloved sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Yes, in my story the "wesa free" moment happened. I believe it was established in both EU and new canon that there were riots after Palpatine's death and that there was swift Imperial retribution.
> 
> I'm contemplating ending my story here. Should I continue and have Luke and Leia meet the rest of the family and reveal the fate of Anakin, or should I just leave it at this?


	5. Chapter 5

_Come home._

Pooja growled in frustration which, to her irritation, made Ryoo smile beside her.

"We'll find out what Mother has to say when we get there, _relax,"_ Ryoo cajoled as their speeder made its way through the relatively quiet city streets.

_Come home._

That's all the message from her mother had said. She _was_ on her way home but she couldn't stop thinking of terrible scenarios that would await her arrival. _Perhaps they're being held hostage by rioters. Perhaps stormtroopers are there to take me in for my sympathy for the Rebellion. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps._

Pooja had cried when news of the Rebellion's victory at Endor, the destruction of a _second_ Death Star, and the death of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine had reached Naboo. When the Imperial Senate had been disbanded, her hopes for a return to civility had been crushed. She dared not act openly in favor of the Alliance, not on Naboo and not where her family was so visible, but she hoped desperately that the outnumbered and outgunned group of freedom fighters would somehow triumph.

_And they had_.

Relief and hope had been the cause of her tears and those tears still shimmered in her eyes whenever she thought of the momentous changes that were surely underway. Perhaps _nothing_ was wrong and perhaps the worst of the chaos had passed. Perhaps her mother was ready for her children to come home.

She'd keep _that_ 'perhaps' in her heart for now.

#

Luke, Leia, and Han were seated across from Sola, who alternated between staring at them and checking the time. Waiting for Sola's children to arrive was wearing on all of them.

"All my time on Coruscant...and one of my few friends in the Senate was actually my _cousin,_ " murmured Leia to Han. Not knowing what to say, he just kissed the side of her head and squeezed her to him. Han saw Sola watching the two of them with a smile and offered a shrug.

"How long have you two been together?" she asked.

"Ah...I suppose officially it has only been a few days, but had it not been for an unfortunate incident involving being frozen in carbonite, it would be closer to a year probably," Han said.

"You were frozen in carbonite?" Sola asked, both fascinated and horrified.

Han nodded and muttered so only Luke and Leia could hear, "Vader took overprotective father to a whole new level, apparently."

Luke snorted and Leia grimaced.

Sola only raised an eyebrow but further questions and conversation was halted when the door opened.

"Mom?" came a tentative voice that Leia recognized.

Soon enough, two young women about Leia's age came, both who tensed at seeing strangers in their home.

"Leia?!"

Pooja's mouth had dropped open and she was staring at Leia as if her presence in her home was a physical impossibility.

"What are you doing here? _How_ did you get here?"

Further questions from Pooja were stopped by Ryoo who tugged on her arm. "One at a time. Let them talk."

Leia smiled weakly at her old friend and the other two Naberries in the room. _Well here goes nothing._

#

"You're Padmé's daughter?" Pooja repeated skeptically.

"Yes," Leia said, patiently.

"And her son?" Pooja asked, her gaze turning to Luke.

"Yes," Luke replied.

"So...you're our cousins...?" Pooja asked.

Han rolled his eyes, "Yes! They are your aunt's children!"

"Who was your fath-" Ryoo began to ask but was cut off by Pooja's exclamation.

"Uncle Ani!"

Everyone turned to look at her and Pooja was attentive enough to see surprise mixed in with generally negative emotions in her mother's three guests.

Luke confirmed her guess with a nod.

"Uncle Ani...?" Han asked, looking somewhat sick.

Pooja blushed and Ryoo answered in her stead, "We were young when Aunt Padmé brought him here. He was serving as her bodyguard at time. He was fun."

"And cute," Pooja grinned.

"Huh," was the best response Han could come up with.

There was a beep from the corner of the room where R2-D2 had stashed himself.

Ryoo and Pooja glanced over and did a double take.

" _Artoo!?_ " was exclaimed simultaneously.

A happy series of beeps confirmed her suspicions.

"Artoo is the one who brought us here," Leia said, "After Darth Vader and the Emperor were killed, he revealed our parentage to use."

"Why was it such a secret? And why were you separated?" Ryoo asked.

"For our safety, we were separated to keep us out of the Emperor's attention. We're both Force sensitive; and either the Emperor or Darth Vader would have realized this."

Luke's response was calm as ever, but his eyes were dark with painful memories.

"So what happened to Uncle An-Anakin? Who took care of you? It was reported that he died, was it true?" Pooja asked in rapid fire.

"From a certain point of view...Anakin _did_ die," Luke said.

Leia gave an irritated look at Luke and glanced at Sola, who gave a slow, sad nod. "Anakin fell to the Dark Side of the Force." Leia paused and swallowed, glancing away from the two stricken looking women, "He became Darth Vader."

A soft 'Oh' was the only thing that broke the silence for the next few minutes.


	6. Chapter 6

Sola's mind raced. Ryoo and Pooja had been very young when Anakin had first graced their doorstep and had never really had the chance to get to know him. For that matter, neither had she, but she had at least been mature enough to see the desire that graced Anakin and Padmé's occasional furtive glances towards one another. But Anakin... _Darth Vader?_ He had been an intense young man but had been polite and obviously attentive to Padmé, it was hard to fathom that man becoming the dark specter that had become a symbol of fear for the galaxy.

"So what happened to him?" Ryoo finally asked.

Leia and Han turned towards Luke who looked uncomfortable.

The Jedi finally said in quiet tones, "I don't really know much. I know that Obi-Wan said that he had been a good friend who had been seduced by the Dark Side. I can tell you one this: I've met the Emperor and he...I can see how one could be manipulated by him if he or she wasn't aware of his true nature."

"True nature?" Sola asked hesitantly.

"He was a Sith, a user of the Dark Side of the Force."

Sola shook her head, "How? How could the Jedi not have sensed him?! And Anakin...oh."

"What?" Han asked.

"Palpatine" she hissed. "He met Anakin here, met him when Anakin was just nine years old. I recall Padmé once saying that Anakin considered him a friend."

There was another silence, no one quite knowing what to say to the other.

There was a beep from R2-D2 and the others looked at the droid.

Luke translated for the others, "He said that he doesn't have a visual, but he does have an audio recording of the last conversation between Padmé, Obi-Wan, and Anakin." Luke paused. "I don't think it's a very good recording, but it might have a detail or two that might help?" Luke trailed off, then nodded at Artoo's affirmative beep.

_"What are you doing out here?"_

_"I was so worried about you. Obi-Wan told me terrible things."_

_"What things?"_

_"He said you'd turned to the Dark Side."_

_..._

_"Anakin, all I want is your love."_

_"Love won't save you, Padmé, only my new powers can do that."_

_.._

_"I won't lose you the way I lost my mother."_

_"I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has ever dreamed of, and I'm doing it for you. To protect you."_

_..._

_"Obi-Wan was right...you've changed."_

_..._

_"You have allowed this Dark Lord to twist your mind until now...until now you've become the very thing you've sworn to destroy._

_..._

_"Don't make me kill you."_

_"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy!"_

_"If you're not with me then you're my enemy."_

There was a hiss and then the sounds of crackling and buzzing filled the air.

"That's it?" asked Han, not unkindly.

Luke dropped his head into his hands, "That's not static, that's the sound of a lightsaber fight. They're dueling, the duel, I believe, where Father is put into a life support suit for the rest of his life."

Han looked unsure of how to respond to that. For that matter, none of the others were really sure how to reply either.

Leia laid a hand on Han's leg and ventured, "He turned to the Dark Side...for Padmé?"

Luke translated a series of beeps coming from the astromech droid, "Anakin was prone to nightmares. Visions. Nightmares or visions such as the one I had on Dagobah about Leia and Han." Seeing Sola, Pooja, and Ryoo's blank stares, he elaborated, "Premonitions of visions of the future, of _a_ possible future."

More beeps. "Anakin had visions of his mother's death. Later he had visions of Padmé's."

Luke opened his mouth, shut it, and than opened it again. "Obi-Wan said Anakin had been _seduced_ by the Dark Side. I think, in a way, it's more literal than you might think. Master Yoda told me that 'once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.' I've felt it, nearly fell to it myself." At Han and Leia's shocked looks, he gave a wan smile, "Vader threatened you, Leia. I don't know if he meant you, but he told me that if I didn't turn to the Dark Side, perhaps my _sister_ would. The feeling I had then..." Luke shook his head. "The Dark Side is a constant danger to those sensitive to the Force. The woman who Anakin loved was in danger and if, as Sola said, Palpatine was his _friend_ , well..."

Han, still looking uncomfortable said, "Doing something stupid for someone you love isn't exactly a rare thing." He obviously didn't relish the idea of casting too much sympathy for the man who'd imprisoned him in carbonite."

Leia...

Sola noticed Leia looking like she either wanted to scream or cry and couldn't figure out which to do. She finally said, "I met him, Leia, when he was Anakin. He _was_ a good man. Perhaps it's as Luke said, and perhaps not. But there was a good man once."

Pooja, seeing how late it was, got to her feet. "Why don't we sleep...and talk more tomorrow. I think there's a lot that all of us probably need to let settle." She gave Leia a warm smile, "And I, for one, would much like to get re-acquainted with my old friend, and my new cousin."

Leia, as strained as she obviously was, gave a slight smile in response. _Slight, but genuine_ , Pooja thought.

"I can prepare some rooms for you unless you have your own lodgings...?" Sola asked. "We do have three rooms that could be arranged for your use."

Leia, before her companions could say otherwise, "We'd like that, but two rooms would be fine."

Pooja and Ryoo looked delighted and grinned at Han and Leia. Pooja mouthed 'we'll talk' to Leia, making Leia smile again.

#

Leia and Han walked towards the bedroom Sola had indicated for their use. They were both quiet, neither quite sure what to say or even what to think. Leia opened the door and Han ran into her suddenly still form. He heard a gasp.

"Leia?"

But Leia didn't respond, she was too busy staring at a bluish figure standing on the other side of the room. He wasn't quite _there_ , but he... Luke had described the visitation of Force spirits before and the description made her fairly sure that this visitor was just that. But she had no idea who he was. He had long curly hair and wore the customary Jedi garb. He had a single scar over one eye and wore a small, sad, smile. He had a single golden prosthetic arm.

Leia put a hand over her mouth in shock and stepped back into Han, who had to struggle to keep his balance. She heard him talking in her ear, asking some question, but her eyes were fixed to her visitor.

"Hello...Daughter," Anakin Skywalker said.


	7. Chapter 7

_"Hello...Daughter."_

Everything seemed to stop, the world holding its breath as Leia was faced by a man who called her daughter. He was not the man the universe had known as Bail Organa, not the man she had practically worshiped as her father. The Jedi garb he wore made it quite obvious that it was the _other_ individual in front of her. Anakin Skywalker.

Darth Vader.

But he didn't look like Darth Vader. He looked young, handsome, and very sad.

Leia was only peripherally aware that Han had grabbed hold of her shoulders and was shaking her slightly.

"It's...okay Han...it's..."

"What Leia? Who's there?" Han moved Leia aside and checked out the room. "Leia?" he asked, confused when nothing seemed amiss.

"Han, give me a moment, will you?" Leia asked in a strained voice.

Han looked at her for a moment and finally said, "Alright Leia, I'll be outside."

Leia just nodded and waited for Han to shut the door. She could hear Luke's soft voice and knew that her brother was explaining things to her lover.

She took a deep breath and faced the man behind the mask that had haunted her nightmares for years. "Vader," she said flatly.

#

Leia watched the specter grimace before he spoke. "Leia...I think we have much to speak about, much for me to say, to apologize for."

"You can never apologize enough, Vader, I will _never_ forgive you," she hissed.

"If not forgive then you must at least move past it. Doing otherwise would only hurt yourself in the end."

Leia opened her mouth but stopped when the man raised a hand. "Leia...I am _Anakin_ now. Darth Vader died when I threw that lying filth I once called friend down a reactor shaft. I'm sorry, Leia. I'm so sorry, for everything. For hurting you, for Alderaan, for hurting Luke and Han. I'm sorry. Perhaps you can never forgive me, perhaps I'll always only be Vader to you, but know this: When I discovered that I would be a father, when I found out Padmé was pregnant...it was the happiest day of my life."

The man walked forward and perched himself on the edge of the bed and continued. "Padmé was sure it would be a boy, but I had my heart set on a girl," he said, smiling. His eyes refocused on Leia and his smile disappeared. "Bail was a good friend of Padmé's; it made sense that a child of hers would go to him. I should have known, Leia. I don't know what would have changed, but _I should have known."_

"I loved your mother, Leia, I loved her desperately. I sold my soul in the hopes that I could save her, and in doing so damned both myself and her. As much as you may hate me, know that no one hated me as much as I did."

"And how did she die in the end?" Leia asked quietly.

"I don't actually know," he said, equally quiet. "I had just finished killing every person in the Separatist base on Mustafar when your mother came. Obi-Wan had told her of what I had done and had come to confront me. I told her those things you heard and I was so _angry_ when she didn't agree with me. I choked her. I used the Force to choke Padmé, my pregnant wife, and didn't stop until Obi-Wan made me do it."

Leia's eyes burned accusingly at Anakin, but stayed quiet.

Anakin closed his eyes and looked at the ground. "You don't know the power of the Dark Side, Leia. I don't speak of the power it can give you, I'm talking about the power it _gains_ over _you._ I had just murdered everyone I could find in the Jedi Temple and then killed the beings that were in control of the Separatists. In my eyes, I had brought peace to the Republic, I had brought security. I believed these things because doing otherwise would mean confronting the truth of what I had done and what I had become."

"My duel with Obi-Wan ended with me limbless and less than a meter away from a river of lava. When the heat finally caught my clothes and eventually me on fire, he left me there. I remember lying there, I remember burning alive and unimaginable pain. I remember Palpatine finding me and 'rescuing' me. He left me on that table, Leia, he left me in agony and assembled the suit around me without any painkillers, without being put unconscious. I was awake while they _built_ me, and I remember watching that mask descend onto my face."

Leia's mouth had dropped open and she looked shocked and horrified. But still, she said nothing.

"It wasn't just the Emperor being cruel, you know. Well, it was, but there was a reason to it. Luke has told you before, Leia, and I'll tell you again: fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. The Dark Side thrives on pain, fear, suffering, and hate. And I was in pain, Leia, pain for every moment of my pathetic existence. And the pain, Leia, is what kept me immersed in the Dark Side. When I was finally entombed in that suit, I asked about Padmé. The Emperor told me that, in my anger, I had killed her. Without Padmé, I didn't even bother trying to justify my actions in the following years."

"So Luke..." Leia asked.

"Finding about my son changed everything, Leia. It changed _everything_. I already despised my master but thus...it was unmistakable proof that I wasn't, at least directly, responsible for her Padmé. A piece of my wife was alive. Luke's existence changed everything. It didn't make a good man, I'm not suggesting that...but the Sith do not care for others. They do not love others. I didn't develop a profound sense of love for my son, but knowing of him gave me an emotion that was not something any Sith would have felt. I wanted him to join me, to destroy the Emperor, to rule the galaxy-"

Leia barked out a laugh, "Luke?"

Anakin winced. "He jumped off a gantry by way of saying 'no.' It made an impression on me and again, something inside me shifted. By the time Luke confronted the Emperor, enough had apparently changed that a voice of reason, the voice of the Light Side was finally recognized by me once more."

Anakin finally looked up and smiled. "Your brother, Leia, it was your brother who made me do that. After decades of being a monster, he did what not even Obi-Wan or Yoda thought possible. Leia...daughter...your mother would be so proud of you. So damn proud of you. And so am I."


	8. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Thank you all for reading this story. A much stronger thank you to those who reviewed the story or helped support it by favoriting/following it. You, readers, are the reason I do this and your feedback helps me continue when I might otherwise falter. I hope you enjoyed this story and hope you'll continue to follow my future endeavors. My other stories from Fanfiction.net will also be posted here in the near future.

**Epilogue**

* * *

#

"You alright?"

Han's quiet voice echoed in the small room the moment she had opened the door and entered their room. It didn't surprise her that he knew, she figured that Luke probably knew about Anakin's presence before she had even laid eyes upon him. She did not envy her brother in having to tell Han that the ghost of the man who froze him in carbonite was having a heart-to-heart with her.

"Leia?" Han asked with concern.

Leia sighed deeply and sat on the edge of the bed that Han was laying in. "He...he-"

"Did he hurt you? What did Vader do?!" Han practically snarled.

Leia had to hide a smile. That inner Corellian spirit of his meant he was more than willing to drag Vad...no, Anakin, from the grave so that he could give him a good punch to the face. She sighed again. "He told me he was proud of me."

There was a moment of silence before Han simply said, "huh."

She supposed that was about all he _could_ say. Han had just as many grievances against Vader as she had, but didn't have the Force to confront those issues directly. It was a cowardly thought, but she wished for a moment that she had never heard of the Force. Making any sort of peace, even with just the ghost of Anakin, felt like a betrayal to her father, Bail Organa, not to mention the entire planet of Alderaan. It was somewhat unfair to blame Vader for Alderaan, she knew. It had been Tarkin who ordered, who _wanted_ it, and he had been favored highly by the Emperor. She understood better now that the Emperor wouldn't have stood for any intervention of Vader's, and that the Emperor truly had controlled Vader...until Luke.

Leia remembered wanting to slap the naivety out of Luke when he had told her he had felt good in Vader, but apparently he had been even more correct than she could have possibly believed.

"He told me he was proud of me, of both Luke and I. He told me some of what happened to him, to our mother, and how things went so wrong. He told me that, in death he would be there for me as he had utterly failed to do in life."

"Huh," Han repeated.

Leia rolled her eyes. "I could feel it, Han. I could feel his guilt, his shame, even his self-loathing. But it was all completely dwarfed by the pride he felt for Luke and I."

"It's hard to imagine Vader feeling guilty," Han said slowly. "I never put too much stock in the Force, you know that. But it's hard to argue with the things I've seen." He scowled then, "That old fossil I picked up on Tatooine with Luke would be laughing at me, I just know it."

"Obi-Wan," she said thoughtfully. "Did you know the reason Vader was in that dreadful suit of his was because of his first fight with Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan managed to win the duel by dismembering him and left him there next to lava. He told me he had been burning alive before the Emperor found him. He hated Obi-Wan for that, to be honest, I'm not even sure I blame him."

"Makes carbonite seem like a vacation spot," Han said, obviously not quite comfortable with the idea of feeling sympathy for Vader and the suit he had been confined in.

"He told me that he can communicate with Obi-Wan now and that they've made some peace. It's hard to imagine _anyone_ being able to make peace after that," Leia mused.

"It's something Luke would do," Han said. Leia could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke of his best friend. "Guess maybe there's something to this Jedi nonsense after all." Han went quiet for a moment before he asked her, "Will you train with Luke to become one?"

"It's been something on my mind ever since Luke told me of my sensitivity. I'm not sure. I think I'll learn some things from Luke, both he and Anakin suggested it would dangerous _not_ to do so, but I don't think I wish to become a Jedi. My interests lay elsewhere, at least for now."

"And what might those interests be, your Worshipfulness?" Han asked, smirking as he ran a hand down her flank.

"There's a New Republic to build," she said simply, pausing until she saw Han scowl. "And a Corellian scoundrel to love," Leia grinned before she leaned down over the bed to kiss him deeply. It wasn't long before she had joined him in the bed and to their mutual satisfaction; it wasn't sleep that occupied them for quite a long time.

* * *

"Do we have any other family out there, other than your husband?" Leia asked Sola the next morning.

Luke, Leia, and Han sat at a table with the three Naberrie women. Han had introduced himself more completely while Luke and Leia had spoken of their early lives. Given that Leia and Pooja were already acquaintances, it was mostly Luke who talked about his past.

"No...well, perhaps distant cousins that we don't keep in touch with, but we're your only immediate family," Sola said. Sola looked down and spoke again, grief lacing her words, "Father...Ruwee, died a few years after Padmé. He was heartbroken at his daughter's death, his daughter and the grandchild he was never able to hold. He never believed the story that it was the Jedi who killed her, Father knew better than that, and he was so upset that her death had been used to slander the Jedi whom she had so greatly respected." Sola wiped at a tear and drank some water before continuing. "He became ill not too long after Padmé's death. He recovered but his health got progressively worse after that. It's been about...19 years since his death."

She lapsed into silence and Pooja continued the story. "Our grandmother, Jobal, lived another five years before she also passed, also of natural causes. Padmé's death broke Father, I think, and hurt my mother greatly. When my father died, I think it was just a matter of time before Mother joined him."

Ryoo then took up the story. "It wasn't just her death, though. It was her pregnancy, the baby they believed dead. They didn't know that Padmé was in any kind of relationship and they felt like they had done something wrong because she had never confided in them. Then Palpatine, a man whom the people of Naboo respected, had declared himself Emperor and had begun the extermination of the Jedi. There was so much going wrong at the time, I think it was too much for a couple who'd known mostly peace for their entire lives."

"I can't believe Ani became Darth Vader," Ryoo said in a small voice. "He was nice, not just because I was Padmé's niece, but because he was a good person."

"He was." Leia startled herself when she spoke and evidently the others at the table as well, given their expressions. But she resolutely continued, "He _was_ a good man and he became one again, at the end of his life. He saved my brother as his last act. It was he who destroyed the Emperor. Whatever else might have happened, he became a good man at the end."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Pooja asked.

Leia hesitated before she said, "Yes. Last night I...spoke with him." At their blank looks, she grimaced. "I am sensitive to the Force and when Anakin died, he became one with it. He is able to...manifest himself as a sort of...spirit."

Pooja and Ryoo looked skeptical, but not as much as Leia had feared. Sola cleared her throat, "I remember the Jedi, though I was never really acquainted to any of them besides Anakin. But I can remember some of the things they could do. They were capable of many things: visions of the future, for example. Their abilities weren't constrained to the physical world...not from what I understood. I share some of my daughters' incredulity...but I am willing to accept it. Please, Leia, what happened?"

Beside her, Leia saw Luke shift slightly and saw his gaze turn slightly away from the others. Following his gaze, she saw the spirits. Anakin was leaning against a wall, watching them, watching her. Next to him was the man she had only briefly seen on the first Death Star. _General Kenobi_ , she realized. The Jedi Master stood next to Anakin and had a hand on the younger man's shoulder. Obi-Wan smiled at both Luke and Leia.

Anakin whispered, "They deserve to know the truth. Please, Leia...tell them everything."

 _I will...Anakin,_ she thought loudly. Anakin's wide smile was confirmation he had heard her. Leia supposed being called by his true name and not his Sith one was a relief.

Seeing the others' expectant faces, Leia began to tell them the story of Anakin Skywalker, the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker, and the brief moment where Anakin Skywalker had been reborn at the very end. She spoke slowly while Luke, or even R2-D2, would sometimes interject or add something. Occasionally, she heard Anakin whispering the words that would fill in the blanks. She told them of his life as a slave, of the wonders he had accomplished as a Jedi, and of the horrors he had unleashed upon the galaxy as Darth Vader. Leia told her newly discovered relatives the story of Anakin Skywalker, her father.

###

**The End**


End file.
